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The Conversation
The Conversation
Sisanda Nkoala, Associate professor, University of the Western Cape

Propaganda machine to public good: a brief history of 50 years of TV in South Africa

South Africa SABC Africa Languages

How does a medium once branded “the devil’s own box” become the fireplace around which a nation tries to rekindle its broken identity?

This question lies at the heart of our recently published book that marks 50 years since the flicker of the first official TV broadcast in South Africa in 1976. The volume takes stock of television’s journey from a tool of state propaganda to a contested site of democratic expression.

Today, this fireplace has expanded beyond the state-owned public broadcaster to incorporate private TV channels and platforms. It has evolved into the digital frontier of streaming services like Netflix, SABC+ and the now defunct Showmax.

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